What a great week! Family visiting, Sox/Yankees series, my new passport, and the tree that I have been cursing, which has been home to many birds who have all crapped on my car for years and years, has finally been cut down!

Family visiting – I really enjoyed spending time with my brother, sister-in-law, my niece and my nephew. The last time I saw them, my niece was about 10 months old and my nephew was two (I think). It was really nice getting to know my niece and nephew a little bit better.

Here they are on one of the rides at my school’s Family Fun Fest Friday night:

Sox – As you can see, rooting for the Red Sox runs in my family. There was a big 3 game Sox/Yankees series last weekend, the first meeting of the two teams this year. Friday night, after buying food at the fair, we decided to eat in my classroom since all the tables outside were taken (a perk of working at the school). My brother has an iPhone and was checking the score on and off most of the night. When we went into my room, I turned Gameday Audio (the radio broadcast of the game) on my computer.

The game was tied and they were in extra innings. If it was up to my brother and I, we would have stayed in my room until someone scored, but the kids, my sister, and my sister-in-law were ready to play more games and go on more rides.

Just as I went over to turn off my computer, Kevin Youkilis hit a walk off home run and the Red Sox won. I started jumping up and down cheering. My nephew thought it was pretty funny, probably thought I was nuts, and was surprised at how much I love the Red Sox. I think I earned a few points with him that night :)

Saturday was the regional softball Special Olympics event for the island of Oahu. The games were played up on a military base with nothing around except a couple of softball fields, a bunch of red dirt, and a few disgusting porta potties. Before leaving my house, I caught the first couple of innings of the Sox/Yankees game. The Sox were losing 4-0. They were losing 6-0 when I got arrived at the softball fields. I figured that game was pretty much over for the Sox.

My brother and his family and I all arrived after my sister and my other brother (my other brother/not my brother visiting) played their first game. Their next game was four hours away. My brother checked the score of the game on his iPhone now and then. The Sox tied it 6-6 soon after I arrived. His kids got bored and wanted to go to the beach so they left. There went my Sox update…

My plan was to stay until I had to use the porta potty. The smell of the one I walked by when I arrived was horrible. I did not want to get any closer and especially did not want to go inside. One of the dads talked me into using the handicapped porta potty which was a little larger, saying it wasn’t that bad (the smell actually was not as bad as the one I walked by when I arrived but the sight was disgusting!!). I will not go into that here…

The softball game finally ended about 3:30 pm and by the time they got their ribbons and I arrived back home it was almost 5 pm. I stayed away from the news, did not turn on my computer, and settled in to watch the game (recorded it when I left). It ended up being a wild game with the final score 16-11!!! Sox 2 – Yankees 0.

On Sunday, my brother and his family spent the day at the water park. I was pretty wiped out and ended up taking a short nap around noontime. I woke up just in time for the Sox/Yankees final game of the series.

The highlight of this game was Jacoby Ellsbury sealing home.

This is a pretty rare event in baseball and it was the first time I have seen it in real time.

Click on the photo below to see the video of this very cool steal…

…and the Sox also won the game!!! How *sweep* it was!! Sox 3 – Yankees zilch.

Now you have to understand, for years and years and years, the Red Sox have always lost. Maybe not every game, but enough games and usually when it counted. I have been a true blue Red Sox fan, win or lose. I was always the last person to admit that the fat lady had sung and the season was over, so it has been pretty exciting seeing them do so well the past few years and to see them sweep a series against the Yankees is a dream of all Sox fans.

After owning the cellar (being in last place) a little over a week ago, the Sox were in first place for a day and after today’s losss, we are back in second place. The Red Sox had a winning streak of 11 games! Pretty amazing after their horrible start. The streak was broken today when they lost in the ninth.

Passport – New passport in the mail (4 weeks from the day I mailed my application)! I also received my old passport (in another envelope) AND I received my Federal Tax refund check all in the same day! What a great mail day!! Passport & check! Now I am all set! Italy here I come…less than 2 months away!

The tree – ever since I first bought my place, my parking space has given me grief. First, the sprinklers were turned on much to high and every night they sprayed all over my car (even on the roof of my car) leaving water spots which were impossible to clean off. After finally getting the person in charge to turn down the sprinklers, the tree started to grow out of control. Birds love this tree and crapped all over my car. In addition, every spring, these dark red berries would fall from the tree and land on my car leaving stains. I have been thinking about getting a new car but have not wanted to deal with the tree problems with a new car.

About two or three months ago, I noticed that the leaves on the tree were turning yellow and the branches were black. I finally saw the resident manager last week and pointed out the dead looking tree, pleading with him to have it cut down. He has known about the problems with the tree and said he would try his best but it was not up to him. Saturday afternoon, my neighbor told me that he heard the tree was getting chopped down on Monday.

I drove home Monday afternoon in anticipation of a big ole celebration by my parking spot. I turned the last corner and THE TREE WAS GONE!!!!!!!!! I did my dance and can now start thinking about a new car.

Life is good!!!